The offices above a well-known town centre shop can be converted into flats - but the upper storey of a small restaurant and takeaway would provide an apartment too small to live in happily, council officers say.

TOWN CENTRE: A proposal to convert part of a restaurant in Morley Street has been turned down because the flat would be too small. Mr C Shah put in a proposal to use the upper storey at number 31, currently an Indian restaurant and takeaway as a one-bedroom apartment, using the space currently used by diners.

The plan needed an extension to the upper storey, but the flat would still have been too small, according to council planners, offering residents ‘poor amenity’.

STRATTON ST MARGARET: A laundrette put up at the site of the BP Garage in Bridge End Road can stay. ME Group International’s retrospective application  to keep the laundry has been approved.

TOWN CENTRE: The offices above a shop in Commercial Road can be converted into flats. GS Ferdinando Estate Trust has been given the go-ahead to convert the two storeys of office space above the Gurkha Minimarket Asian grocery store into six flats.

Each storey would hold one two-bedroom flat and two single-bed apartments.

TOWN CENTRE: The rear of a large shop unit in Regent Street in the main shopping area can now be turned into a meeting hall and events space as developer A Rodrigues’ plans are approved.

The proposal is to use half of the rear of the New Look fashion store at 55-61 Regent Street for the space. No specific type of meeting or use is specified in Mr Rodrigues’ application.

TOWN CENTRE: The Dental Care Group Swindon  will block up the door into what was a café at 1 College Street and re-glaze it if its plans are approved.

The company is using the upper storey of 6 Regent Street and 1 College Street as a clinic, and the ground floor space of 1 College Street for offices. It will use the more traditional door into the side of 6 Regent Street as the only access to the business.

CENTRAL: St Joseph’s Catholic College in Ocotal Way has been given the go-ahead to cover its existing roof with a membrane roof. The college says this is to prevent leaks currently affecting the current roof. The membrane will be a light colour to reflect as much light and heat as possible. The existing rooflights will also be replaced.

ABBEY MEADS: A plan to turn a residential house into a nursery for pre-school children has been refused for lack of information.  Flora Thompson wants to turn 12 Bergman Close into a nursery for two- and three-year-olds, converting the bedrooms and living spaces into playrooms and classrooms.

Her applications said the extension of funding for nursery education for two- year-olds has greatly increased demand, exacerbated by a number of childminders closing their businesses.

The proposal has been turned down with planning officers saying Ms Thompson: “Fails to provide sufficient information on the exact scale and nature of the proposed use. By reason of the site's location in a residential area the proposed change of use has the potential to generate harmful levels of noise and disturbance."

EXTENSIONS: Applications have been submitted to build extensions to houses, or outbuildings, or to convert lofts and garages to habitable rooms at: 10 Norton Grove, Old Walcot; 39 Thornhill Drive, St Andrews Ridge; 16 Cambrai Road, Chiseldon; 7 Old Bakery Road, Wroughton; 25 Woodland View, Wroughton; 43 St Margaret’s Road, Old Town; 1 Thornhill Drive, St Andrews Ridge; 38 Shrivenham Road, Central; 39 Bryanstone Way, Nythe, 25 Islay Crescent, Highworth; 157 Ermin Street, Stratton St Margaret, 21 Sparcells Drive, Sparcells; and 43 The Bramptons, Shaw.

Such applications have been approved for: 5 Moorhen Close, Covingham; 5 Bradley Road, Upper Stratton; The Conifers, Markham Road, Wroughton; 61 Weedon Road, Stratton St Margaret; 6 Brettingham Gate, Broome manor’ 23 Beech Lea, Blunsdon; 350 Marlborough Road, Coate; 18 Greenfields, South Marston; 16 Church Walk South, Rodbourne Cheney and 6 The Street, Castle Eaton.